How to level up your sales team
Great CEOs don’t do everything themselves. They delegate to high-quality talent. I’ve used Fiverr 130 times to tap world-class experts and keep momentum high.
Get 10% off your first order (Use code PHILHSC10 at checkout)
Welcome to Partnership Wednesday #115 featuring ideas you can use to build partnerships faster, with less guesswork, and confidently close 6-figure deals.
Got a growth question? Send me an email.
A LESSON TO BUILD ON
Founded in 2025, AION Labs, backed by AstraZeneca, Merck, Pfizer, Teva, and Amazon Web Services, launched a global AI-for-drug-discovery challenge where problems and solutions are validated by pharma R&D experts and SMEs before funding. The model has already produced startups like Promise Bio, which raised $8.3M in 2024, proving that shared innovation between pharma and AI works in practice.
Leadership Lesson: True innovation leadership means curating ecosystems of validation, not just ideas. AION’s success shows that when leaders align industry experts, researchers, and startups around real-world challenges, they turn innovation from guesswork into evidence-based progress.
AN ANSWER TO HELP YOU MOVE FASTER
I feel like my sales and partnerships team needs to lift their game. How do I reset my expectations with them knowing that the market is tough at the moment? I was asked this question from the crowd this week. Here’s my answer (I wish I had 15 years ago):
There is no question that markets can be tough but sales is a team sport.
And at the centre of that sport is clear expectations.
I've met 100's of sales leaders and from those interactions I know these leaders fall into one of five levels.
The best ones are Level 5 leaders, and here’s how each level is broken down, how those at each level generally act and what needs to happen for them to move up the ladder.
LEVEL 1: The Reciter
→ "Here are this month's numbers"
→ Reads metrics without context
→ Focuses on what happened
📈 To level up:
• Action: After each metric, add "This means..."
• Ask: "What story do these numbers tell us?"
LEVEL 2: The Explainer
→ "Revenue dropped because of market conditions"
→ Provides reasons for performance
→ Still living in the rearview mirror
📈 To level up:
• Action: End every explanation with "Next time, we'll..."
• Ask: "How do we prevent this next quarter?"
LEVEL 3: The Signal Spotter
→ "Pipeline velocity is slowing in enterprise deals"
→ Identifies patterns before they become problems
→ Shifts from reactive to predictive
📈 To level up:
• Action: Build your weekly "Signal Library"
• Ask: "What system would prevent this entirely?"
LEVEL 4: The Recommender
→ "We need to adjust our qualification criteria"
→ Translates insights into actionable strategies
→ Bridges the gap between analysis and execution
📈 To level up:
• Action: Frame every insight through the CEO's lens
• Ask: "How does this move the whole business forward?"
LEVEL 5: The Force Multiplier
→ "Here's the system that prevents this issue recurring"
→ Creates scalable processes that multiply results
→ Builds capability, not just delivers outcomes
The transformation moment? Level 3 to 4.
That's where you stop asking "What happened?" and start asking "What should we do about it?"
Where you move from managing activity to multiplying impact.
Most sales leaders get stuck at Level 2.
They explain the past instead of engineering the future.
The best ones?
They live at Level 5.
They don't just hit numbers. They build the systems that make hitting numbers predictable.
Have questions or need additional help? Let’s talk
Here’s an infographic that might help you navigate this topic further.
THIS WEEK’S MOMENT
Do you know how to do the math to assess the risk of entering a new market?
In this 10 minute episode, you’ll learn:
The 10 ways incumbents defend their market—and how to break through
The formula every founder and sales leader should run before entering a market
5 proven partnership plays to unlock access, trust, and scale—without going head-to-head
Get every episode of the Partnership Playbook on your next commute or workout. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Youtube!
KNOW PEOPLE WHO FEEL STUCK?
Want to share this issue of Partnership via text, social media or email? Just copy and paste this link:
https://philhsc.com/partnership/8-october-2025
Until next Wednesday,
Phil Hayes-St Clair - Executive Coach
When you're ready, there are three ways I can help you:
1. The Partnership Lab A 6-week experience for founders, CEOs, and GTM leaders who are done with slow growth and stalled conversations. Learn to rapidly qualify and prioritise high-value partners, Install a system that turns conversations into contracts and capture outsized returns from partnerships that scale. Apply to join the November cohort today!
2. Join a free masterclass: Each week I pull back the curtain on frameworks, tactics, and real-world partnership strategies you can put into play immediate. Invite your team and bring your questions. This is your time.
3. Leadership Events: From Cochlear and Lifeblood to military leaders, I have shared inspiring stories and practical frameworks and insights that shift how leaders leverage partnerships for growth. Book me to speak at your next conference, offsite, or leadership event.
Looking for something different? Send me an email.
Get the Wednesday Partnership
The only newsletter to help you build high-value partnerships for predictable growth in half the time.
Every Wednesday I share actionable insights to sharpen your partnership skills and help you confidently close 6-figure deals. BONUS: Subscribe and get 100 battle-tested tactics to earn trust, close faster, and drive growth through high-value partnerships.
